Everything You Need to Know About Dogs!

09/30/2009

Do Probiotics work?

Probiotics are live microorganisms found in foods or
supplements that help balance intestinal bacteria. There are a lot of claims
about the benefits of probiotics—that they aid digestion, help with diarrhea, including as a side-effect of taking antibiotics, boosts the immune
system, and reduces colds.

Studies are showing some very encouraging signs that these claims are true. And if it can help us, it
can also benefit our dogs.

Dogs that are prone to bouts of diarrhea, senior dogs, dogs
who travel to shows or events, dogs on antibiotics prone to stomach upset, or
if you want to aid digestion and boost the immune system can all benefit from
taking probiotics.

Just as there are many different kinds of antibiotics to
treat different and specific infections, so there are also specific bacteria that target certain health issues. In human studies Lactobacillus in different strains reduces
diarrhea, for example, Lactobacillus GG (LGG) is in the over the counter
supplement Culturelle, and L. casei DN 114 001 in the Dannon yogurt
products.In a study of day care
children these two strains actually reduced the incidence of illness in the
children.

Studies prove that some strains of probiotics reduce
diarrhea, including diarrhea associated with taking antibiotics. Whether they
boost the immune system is still debatable, but as author Parker-Pope states,
the intestinal tract is important to our immune system and probiotics not only
aid digestion but also create a barrier within the intestines.

I’ve found some more fascinating information on probiotics
that I will post soon, including how to decide which probiotics are effective, how
much you actually have to give to have positive benefits, and much more. Stay
tuned!